Basket-making machine.



n. a. nu BOIS.

BASKET MAKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 2, 1898.) (No Model.)

ii :5 A 0 Patentgd Oct. 24, I899.

FFIC.

RIIESA G. DU BOIS, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE HORTON BASKET MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BASKET=MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters I-atent No. 635,374, dated October 24, 1899.

Application filed April 2, 1898. Serial No. 676,247. (No modeLl T0 all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that LRHEsA G. DU BOIS, acitizen of the United States, residing at South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Basket-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of basketmaking machines shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 530,048, granted Emmet Horton November 27, 1894. That patent shows a machine for automatically making baskets by assembling sheets of veneer around a form, securing them to the bottom piece of the basket, and applying bands around the top of the sides and around the bottom of the basket. In the Horton patent referred to the side pieces are fed to the form by a pair of pincers or gripping-jaws, which grasp the side pieces and carry them from their receptacle into proper position to be secured to the bottom piece of the basket and to the bands. It has been found in practice that the pincers will occasionally miss feeding a side piece, owing mainly to the failure of the machine to properly place a side piece in position to be grasped by the pincers. In the Horton machine the stapling or nailing mechanism continues to work independently of the operation of the sides-feeding mechanism, and if the pincers miss feeding a side piece an imperfect basket is formed. The nailing mechanism continues to work and loss of material results. Staples would be uselessly made and there is liability of the stapling mechanism becoming clogged.

The object of my invention is to provide mechanism which will avoid such mistakes. This I accomplish by providing devices which are operated by the side pieces to control the operation of the wire-feeding mechanism, the organization being such that normally the wire-feeding mechanism is out of operation, but is thrown into operation each time that a side piece is properly fed forward.

\Vhile my invention is especially designed for use in connection with a basket-making machine such as that shown in the Horton patent before referred to, it is obvious that it may be applied to other machines and to machines for forming other kinds of baskets. It is also obvious that the mechanism for controlling the feed of the securing devices may be operated by other parts of the stock from which the basket is formed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of so much of a basket-making machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective, showing the essential parts of my invention.

Unless otherwise specified the parts are of usual well-known construction.

The side pieces 2 are fed in the usual way to the form 18 by pincers or grippers 1.

The nailing or stapling mechanism isindicated in dotted lines at 3, the details of this mechanism forming no part of my invention.

The wire 4, from which the staples are formed, is fed from a reel 20 through feedwheels 5, provided with a ratchet -wheel 6, with which engages a feed-pawl 7. The pawl 7 is pivoted to the upper end of a verticallymovable rod 8, which in turn is actuated by shoulders 9 on the cam-wheel 10, driven bya shaft 11, which in turn may be actuated in any suitable way. 7

On the shelf 14, which supports the stapling mechanism, is a post 13, to which ,is pivoted a lever 12. One arm of this lever is connected, by means of a rod 16, to the pawl 7 just above its pivot 17. The other arm of the lever is preferably made flexible and projects into the path of the side piece 2. When there is no side piece in engagement with the lever 12, the pawl 7 is held out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel 6 by means of a weight 7, applied to the pawl preferably just above its pivot and so arranged as to hold the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. At this time the lever 12 projects into the path of the side piece 21 The lever is preferably made flexible or yielding, so that no breakage of the stock may occur. The side pieces are usually thin and fragile, and if the lever were of rigid material breakage of the sides might sometimes occur; but by making the lever somewhat flexible or yielding this is avoided. It should, however, be made sufficiently stiff to operate the pawl.

It will be observed that the lever 12 does not control the movement of the entire machine, but only the movement of the wirefeeding mechanism, and hence a slight pressure from the side pieces is sufficient to actuate the pawl 7. hen the side pieces are fed in regular order in the usual way, they are assembled around the form with the bottom pieces and the bands, and the stapling mechanism operates at proper times to secure the parts together. Each time that a side piece is fed forward it comes in contact with the lever 12 and throws the pawl 7 into engagement with the ratchet-wheel 6, so that it is fed forward properly to feed sufiicient wire to form the staples for securing the side pieces in place. As soon as the side piece has been delivered and the pincers recede the weight 7 falls and causes the pawl 7 to be disengaged from the ratchet-wheel, at the same time moving the lever 12 into the path of the side piece next to be delivered. \Vhen this arrives, the lever 12 is again operated to throw the pawl 7 back into engagement with the ratchet-wheel 6 and the operation continues as before.

I claim as my invention l. The combination of a form about which the side pieces are assembled, means for feeding the side pieces to the form, wire-feeding devices, mechanism operated by the side pieces as they are fed forward for controlling the action of the wire-feeding devices and means for forming staples from the wire and applying them to the basket.

2. The combination of a form about which the side pieces are assembled, means for feeding the side pieces to the form, wire-feeding devices, mechanism operated by the side pieces as they are fed forward for holding the wire-feeding devices in operation While the side piece is being fed and means for forming staples from the wire and applying them to the basket.

3. The combination of a form about which the side pieces are assembled, means for feeding the stock to the form, means for supply ing nailing or securing devices, and mechan ism operated by the stock as it is fed forward for controlling the action of the mechanism for supplying the securing devices.

4. The combination of a form, mechanism for assembling the veneer stock about the form, a uniting mechanism, and devices interposed between the assembling mechanism and the uniting mechanism for holding the uniting mechanism out of operation when there is a failure in the feed, and for throwing the uniting mechanism into operation when the assembling mechanism operates properly.

5. The combination of a form, mechanism for assembling the parts of the basket about the form, a nailing mechanism, and a throw ing-in device for controlling the operation of the nailing mechanism, consisting of a lever having an arm located between the form and the feeding mechanism, and projecting into the path of the ingoing stock and connected with the nailing mechanism.

(5. The combination with the nailing mechanism of a pair of wire-feeding rolls, pawland-ratchet mechanism for actuating them, means for normally holding the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel, and a lever arranged in the path of, and adapted to be engaged by, the ingoing stock to throw the pawl into operative engagement with the ratchet-wheel.

7. The combination of a form, means for assembling the stock about the form, nailing mechanism, means for operating it, a lever of yielding material projecting into the path of the incoming stock, and connections between this lever and the nailing mechanism.

In witness whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RHESA G. DU BOIS.

Witnesses:

GEO. R. HAMLIN, RALPH S. WARFIELD. 

